Clarke Central High School senior and CCHS soccer team member Luis Vazques died on July 19. Vazques was a keeper for both the CCHS and Athens United soccer teams and frequently worked at his family’s restaurant, Tacos Los Plebes. “As a close-knit school community, we grieve with this family in the wake of this sudden loss and are still processing this devastating news,” CCHS Principal Dr. Swade Huff said in an email to the Clarke County School District. “While we will respect the privacy of the student’s family by not providing any information regarding this tragic accident, we are coordinating counseling support to anyone who wants it.” Photo courtesy of the CCHS Gladius Yearbook
Luis Marco Vasquez-Gaytan was born on July 30, 2003 and passed away on July 19 and his funeral was held on July 24.
Luis was loved by many people, his teammates, his classmates and his family. He had five siblings: Jorge, Vadhir, Abdiel, Victoria, and Christopher Vaquez-Gaytan, along with many more step-siblings.
While his teachers knew he was a handful, he never failed to put a smile on everyone’s face. He played soccer for both Clarke Central and Athens United. In 2019, he tried out for the Central soccer team and although he did not get the spot as a defender, he was offered a spot as keeper. That same year, he decided to join Athens United as a keeper.
During his life, he always made time for everything. On top of being a student-athlete, he was a hard worker. He worked at a family’s restaurant called ‘Tacos Los Plebes.’
Other than soccer and work, he was also very passionate about cars. After he saved enough money, he took months figuring out which one he would get. He ended up getting an almost new 2019 Toyota Camry that showed up at a dealership near his house. Luis never stopped talking about it, it was almost a part of him.
He was the type of friend that everyone wants. Luis was a motivator and uplifter to any spirit that crossed his path. He wanted everyone around him to be right there with him succeeding.
Although Luis may be gone, the impact he had will never go away.
Written by Davis Gabriel with contributions from Allison Mejia, Landon Bello, Dilon Gresham and Bruno Morales